About Me

Hi, I’m Dan, a keen runner, personal trainer, wannabe cyclist, occasional swimmer and unintentional hobbit. Thanks for visiting my blog site! I started this website as I was nearing the end of my 20’s and just about getting my life back on track. I had unwittingly fallen into a life of apathy, laziness and self-pity from my many years with an expensive degree and no job prospects; plus a strong ambition with no direction. Contempt and jealously for many of those around me seemed to build up as the years went on. That is, until I started this running around for fun business…

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My shining moment from 2014, finishing a solo 1,000 mile run up the UK.

My Background

I was always a reasonable swimmer as a child. Never brilliant, but definitely reasonable, most people would agree. I also have a background playing squash in the North West leagues. Again, I was never amazing at it, but the vestigial fitness from all the swimming in my younger years allowed me to get away with a degree of laziness and lack of technical skill.

I first started running in 2010 and knew immediately it was something I wanted to pursue. Even if it turned out I wasn’t that good at it (and I wasn’t for a long time); it gave me a stronger mental clarity, a sense of adventure and a welcome return of enjoyment from life again in spite of other aspects not being quite right yet, and that was a powerful thing to reclaim!

Running from Manchester to Mordor in Germany as a hobbit.

Running from Manchester to Mordor in Germany as a hobbit.

When things don’t go to plan, most of us start to panic. I remember in my early 20’s, I assumed that by the time I was in my 30’s, things would just be easier. Things like having some money in the bank, a house, a car, a career, that sort of thing. You know, all those things you see other people getting.

But since when did anything go to plan?

I think when you embrace the adventure lifestyle, you embrace the struggle that life throws at you along with it.

When I ran Lands End to John O’Groats; the first of many of my own little adventures. It finally gave me the confidence I needed to break out of a four year dead-end job, to forge a new and scary career path in fitness training.

It takes a long time to build a new career when you have no money to lift it off the ground and a damaged self-esteem. I knew it would be a struggle, but now I was ready for the fight!

Learning by doing!

Learning by doing!

Minimalist kit

Minimalist kit

We all start somewhere. I started as a semi pro drunkard.

We all start somewhere. I started as a semi pro drunkard.

Camping kit for my second adventure through Wales.

Camping kit for my second adventure through Wales.

Sharing my secrets to injury free running

Sharing my secrets to injury free running

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